


Gust Of Emotion

by dasakuryo



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24199918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dasakuryo/pseuds/dasakuryo
Summary: It'd been a long time since Kory had seen that true glimmering light that always shone out of Garfield. Ever since Deathstroke, since CADMUS —especially since CADMUS— it had been replaced by a dull glimmer that sometimes wasn't even there, and all Kory got to see were Garfield's clouded eyes.
Relationships: Koriand'r & Garfield Logan
Comments: 21
Kudos: 42
Collections: Hurt Comfort Exchange 2020





	Gust Of Emotion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueWolves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueWolves/gifts).



Kory surveyed Garfield with a quick glance, a frown quickly twisting up her face at the sight. With his shoulders slunched down, he gave Conner a brief smile when the boy suggested, beaming, they should play Mario Kart to celebrate the recent victory. Even though his lips had curled up, the smile had not reached his eyes at all... They didn't gleam with that glimmering spark, so characteristically Garfield, that always preluded him blabbing from the joy bubbling inside him.

It'd been a long time since Kory had seen that true glimmering light that always shone out of Garfield. Ever since Deathstroke, since CADMUS —especially since CADMUS— it had been replaced by a dull glimmer that sometimes wasn't even there, and all Kory got to see were Garfield's clouded eyes.

Kory's heart lodged in her throat. Every time she'd tried to reach out, Garfield had recoiled back into himself, and no matter how Kory asked the question he'd always insist everything was perfectly right, even when it was evident by the slight trembling of his voice that he was lying through his smile. Kory had decided not to press further; she was afraid that pushing too hard too quickly would drive Garfield further away.

She hoped Garfield would come to her in time, when he was ready. That didn't mean Kory couldn't —or rather wouldn't, in all honesty— keep a watchful eye over him in the meantime.

Dick squeezed her hand when leaving the room, cocking his head slightly towards Garfield with a shadow of a worried frown lining his forehead. Kory nodded, managing a wan smile, and nodded again when Dick fixed his eyes on her, the faint creases on his face deeper than a few moments ago. She was fine, she assured him, in a vain effort of easing some of the weight from his shoulders —it was a silly concept, she had to admit it, Dick was always worrying, especially when it come to the well-being of others. She was lying, of course, but she hadn't been able to come clean about Kommand'r yet. A part of her wished it'd not be necessary, and yet—

She nodded again. Dick, standing on the threshold, cocked an eyebrow at her. She had a sudden urge to laugh, but ended up turning on her heels and approaching Garfield instead. She heard the faint sound of footsteps and the door of the training room slid shut. Garfield was sitting on the wooden floor, legs crossed, gaze fixed on a spot on the wall before him. So lost was he in his thoughts, that he almost jolted when Kory sat down next to him. She didn't miss the way he'd flinched, nor the way he'd grimaced, after the fear-driven surprise ebbed away and relief eased his features.

Kory treasured the brief smile that Garfield flashed him as if it were gold. Her hands itched to pull him into a hug, but she figured it would be over-stepping, especially considering the newly-set boundaries Garfield had dictated for himself. Kory suspected there was something else simmering underneath such a choice, from all the teens that had ever set foot on that tower, Garfield was by far the least adverse to displays of affection—

Or at least, he had been.

"Did I scare you, tiger?" she settled for saying, beaming at him.

Garfield let out a chuckle.

"That obvious, uh?" he almost whispered, looking down, drumming his fingers on his knee.

Kory patted his shoulder. She felt him tense underneath the touch, then the tension slowly melted away when she rubbed her hand up and down.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Gar," she felt the need of pointing out. "Happens to the best of us."

Garfield laughed again, but this time it was drier, a soul-less sound, even. Kory's heart clenched, and she had to curl her fingers into her palm to keep herself from pulling the boy into a hug.

She'd hoped the brief exchange and the closeness would get him to lay down his walls a bit, but it didn't seem to be the case, judging by the way the boy was set on staring at the floor. The fact he hadn't shouldered her hand off was a good sign, all things considered. She squeezed his arm, stopping herself from ruffling his hair just in time, and felt warmth spread through her chest when Garfield let out a shaky breath. She rubbed his arm, and this time couldn't keep herself from humming soothingly, under her breath. When Garfield heaved another trembling sigh, Kory's heart skipped a beat.

Maybe she could get him to open up this way. Perhaps a little push was all that he needed. If Kory could show him, _reassure him_ , there was no reason for him to be afraid at all, maybe Garfield would finally be able to uncage all those emotions he'd been bottling up for so long.

"It's okay, Garfield," she whispered with the softest, most comforting voice she could muster while trying not to let her own worry and grief show.

The boy looked up for a split of a second. All of a sudden, Kory realised she had completely misread the situation.

Garfield's eyes were glimmering, glistening streaks meandering down his cheeks.

* * *

Garfield was painfully aware of Kory's gaze following his every move. He'd noticed Dick did the same, when he thought Garfield wasn't looking. Under different circumstances, he'd have found their concern touching, heart-warming even, but since CADMUS he couldn't feel anything but fear.

Fear of his own powers. Fear of endangering the Titans —his friends, his family. Fear of hurting others. Fear of his own shadow.

The nightmares were already bad enough. What make them worse was Garfield was no longer sure he could tell fabrications from reality. After all, hadn't CADMUS proved as much? They had messed around with his brain, his mind, his memories, to the point Garfield was now always second-guessing the world around him—

He had hurt so many people...

What if whatever Rachel had done was only temporary? What if he relapsed? What if the tiger and its hunger took over his mind and he had no way to stop it? What then? How would he be able to keep himself from hurting others, especially the people he cared about—

He wished Rachel hadn't left. Hadn't left him.

Sometimes he jolted awake in the middle of the night, shirt sticking to his sweat-bidden body like a second skin, with his heart lodged in his throat as bits and pieces of the most recent nightmare kept flashing before his eyes. When it happened, he'd end up gulping down an entire jug of water, trying to wash down the ferrous aftertaste from his mouth—

Kory had found him a few times in the kitchen. Garfield had scurried away before she even had the chance of saying a word, much less comfort him.

It made sense, in his mind at least. If he kept his distance, then there were fewer chances he'd end up hurting anyone. It was the only solution he could come up with, given the circumstances and his own dreading fears. As long as he didn't give anyone reasons to worry, everything will be fine. Dick and Kory had been able to hide their pain in order to protect those they cared about, he could do the same thing.

Of course, what Garfield hadn't foreseen was that both Dick and Kory, _especially Kory_ , would still worry about him precisely because they had pulled the exact same thing themselves.

* * *

"I just.... don't want to hurt any of you," Garfield said with a quivering voice through a burning throat, painfully aware of the tears still spilling silently from his eyes.

Kory adjusted the bandage on his side before sitting opposite him across the bed. Garfield evaded her worried gaze and settled for staring at the discarded plastic wrappers of the bandages on the covers instead.

"It's my fault that Donna—" he choked, squeezing his eyes shut.

Suddenly, warmth and the scent of sandalwood enveloped him. He buried his face on Kory's shoulder, which only prompt her to tighten her embrace around his trembling frame.

"Don't you dare think that," Kory shushed him, soft but firm. "It wasn't you. It was _them_. They made you do those things—"

Kory went on, but Garfield didn't listen to the rest. He chose to focus on the soothing cadence of her voice instead, on the rubbing of her hand on his back, on the solace of her arms around him. He'd missed _hugs,_ especially Kory's.

He pulled away, sniffing, and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Kory searched for his eyes and Garfield did not look away this time. He flashed him a trembling smile, but a smile nonetheless. Kory answered in kind, and then reached forward. Garfield couldn't help but laugh, truly laugh, when Kory ruffled his green hair.

It was a hearty sound, so alien to him as of late that it seemed to tear his throat in its wake. Despite the pain and the burdens still weighing heavy on his shoulders, warmth spread through his chest.

He had no way of knowing what the future may hold. But he didn't have to walk this path on his own. Some burdens were carried better when shared, some emotions healed faster when out of the cage of one's chest. He was thankful to Kory for reminding him that.

"Nobody can manage alone, Garfield," she said, cupping his cheek. "Don't ever forget that."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all have enjoyed the read, especially BlueWolves! ♥ Garfield is often comforting others, so I loved BlueWolves' prompt of him being the one comforted, for a change. And, of course, the Titans are a small (found) family, so Kory will naturally worry about the kids. Ranting aside, I hope I did the characters justice and met your expectations, BlueWolves :)


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